HYDE PARK WARD LABOUR ACTION REPORT – Late April 2022
News from your Hyde Park Labour Candidates – Judith Southern, Md Shamsed Chowdhury and Paul Dimoldenberg
Your three Hyde Park Ward Labour Candidates
Md Shamsed Chowdhury has lived and worked in Westminster since 2016. He is experienced in the business and hospitality industries and keen to use his knowledge to support young people into work. Shamsed is also a volunteer with a homeless charity in Westminster. He speaks English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu and Bengali and is keen to support all residents in the ward to ensure everyone has a decent home and feels safe on our streets.
Paul Dimoldenberg has been a Queen’s Park Labour Councillor for nearly 25 years and was a Harrow Road Councillor for 8 years before that. He is a former Leader of the Labour Group and led the Team that uncovered the ‘Homes for Votes’ and ‘15p Cemeteries’ scandals. Originally from Manchester, he has lived on Marylebone Road since the 1970s. Paul’s knowledge of the Council has enabled the Hyde Park Labour Action Team to ‘get things done’ for local residents.
Judith Southern grew up in rural Cumbria and trained to be a nursery nurse. She then worked in West Yorkshire as a bus driver before starting nurse training. She worked at Paddington Green Children’s Hospital and has lived in Hyde Park ward since 1985. Before retiring she worked at Trinity Hospice at Clapham Common where Judith says she felt privileged to be able to give the best palliative care possible.
Don’t forget, you have three votes in the Council elections on 5th May. You can vote for all three of us. Use your three votes to vote for Shamsed, Paul and Judith.
Our priorities for Hyde Park Ward
- Freeze Council Tax for all residents until 2024
- Keep our area safe with more police to tackle crime
- Stop illegal rubbish dumping with fines for offenders
- Put residents first in the planning system
- Stand up for better NHS services against cuts and sell-offs
- Deliver cleaner air, and greener homes and transport
- Stop the financial waste – no more £6m Marble Arch Mound disasters!
You can read our Manifesto here https://www.westminsterlabour.org.uk/manifesto-labours-plan-for-a-fairer-westminster/
Paul, Judith & Shamsed – Getting things done for Hyde Park residents
Hyde Park Ward – The Three Key Election Issues
NEWS AND ACTION
The Hyde Park Estate area, bounded by Edgware Road/Bayswater Road and Sussex Gardens
Park West
We were shocked to meet a Park West resident who has not been able to take shower in their flat for a year due to the worry of having electric shocks in the bathtub. In addition, the flat is badly infested with bedbugs & roaches and the lock on the door has not been fixed since someone tried to break in. We have asked the Environmental Health Team to investigate.
Park West Place
We have also asked the City Inspectors to take action against the people who have been using the area between the recycling bins and the BT cabinet as a toilet. Residents in Park West are totally appalled by this anti-social behaviour and say:
“Human fouling between the recycling bins and the BT cabinet on Park West Place is now a recuring issue. Every other day, residents of Park West are facing that disgusting habit.”
The City Inspector has told us:
“A sign has been placed in the area, in addition to the signs that are already in situ by the estate management which they have translated into Arabic. The area is monitored regularly by City Inspectors, if the street needs flushing, City Inspectors will raise a job via “report it” to ensure this is done.”
Cambridge Square/Southwick Street
We have asked the City Inspector to investigate the Virgin telecoms box which is open again and blue tack is used to secure it! Surely, Virgin can do better than that?
We are also concerned at the continued illegal rubbish dumping by the letter box and rubbish bin (which the dumpers completely ignore!) and have identified this location as one where we will propose installing CCTV if we are elected on 5th May.
The City Inspector says:
“I have engaged in the assistance of highways officers to see if there is anything in their remit that can use to nudge Virgin into fixing the door. Regarding waste around the litter bin, the area is monitored as one of the City Inspectors hotpots and enforcement action has been taken recently when waste is presented outside collection time.”
Brook Street
We have asked the Council to install a sign at the Electric Vehicle charger on Brook Street, near Victoria Gate, telling drivers not to dump their rubbish in the road while their car is charging. The Council says, “a sign has been placed at this location to deter litter, at the time of visit, a sweeper was in situ and there was no litter.”
Residents say, “Thanks for your quick actions on this issue. I saw this the other day. I can say it’s definitely a good temporary idea.”
Sussex Gardens
We have asked the City Inspector if anything can be done to make the management of a multi-occupied property in Sussex Gardens make proper arrangements for rubbish disposal. When we passed by recently there was a huge mound or rubbish dumped on the pavement outside the property and it was a dreadful sight. The Council says:
“The City Inspectors have contact details for the management company that owns the land and manages the private areas, I have forwarded your email to them, who will make contact with their residents and in the past have letter dropped and arranged for a paid contractor to remove any waste on their land.”
Traffic management
Following our enquiries about tackling ‘rat run’ routes, the Highways Team tell us:
“A number of traffic management, street planting and cleansing concerns across the Hyde Park Estate area have been identified and combined into a tracker record. These are now being assessed and prioritised according to the limited funding that is available. A report to the Cabinet and Ward Members is envisaged by June.”
£6 Million Marble Arch Mound
You can read the latest on the £6m Marble Arch Mound disaster here
The Star Street area, between Sussex Gardens and Praed Street
Southwick Street – early morning hotel deliveries
Residents in Southwick Street continue to urge action to stop the early morning laundry delivery and pick up from the Inhabit Hotel and we have urged the City Inspector to investigate. Residents say,
“Please can you ask the Hotel to arrange a different time for their laundry pickup/drop off. Residents in 29/31/33/35 Southwick Street say this van is disturbing their sleep and then they are unable to function as they should the next day. This is happening on regular basis. The van banging doors, a lift from the van and the trolley. This is generally happening around 2 am to 2 30 am. Please can you ask them to pick up and drop offs any time before 11pm and after 7am.”
We have also written to the hotel company to urge them to rearrange deliveries/pick-up to between 7am and 11pm.
The City Inspector says, “the hotel has assured me that there will be no further early morning deliveries.”
Southwick Street – unauthorised Airbnb lettings
We have asked the Council to investigate another unauthorised Airbnb letting at a flat in Southwick Street.
Following our enquiries about unauthorised Airbnb lettings at another property in Southwick Street, the Enforcement Team tell us:
“Our visit to the property has identified that the property is potentially subjected to Planning Enforcement contravention of change of use and has been referred to that Department for consideration. In respect short-term letting of the property, a warning letter has been issued to all flats and this will be followed up with further visits to determine how the property is being used and if there are breaches.”
Star Street – ‘Don’t Dump’ signs
Residents have continued to call for better ‘Don’t Dump’ signage after residents’ own very effective signs were ripped down by the Council:
“Just some feedback in the bins on Star Street/Sale Place – since the residents’ signs went up there has been a marked improvement in the indiscriminate dumping of waste. I see the council now has put up some signage, which is good but are effectively temporary signs held on by cable ties. Time for the council to put up some proper permanent signage. Such a simple measure and so far, effective. Any proposed legal action by the council against the management of the launderette is laughable.”
If we are elected on 5th May we will ensure that large signs are located by the bins warning rubbish dumpers of the financial penalties they will face if caught. We will also be installing CCTV as a further deterrent and way of identifying those responsible.
Star Street – pavements
We have asked the Highways Team to fix the uneven pavements outside 74 and 79 Star Street where residents tell us they have had problems recently and tripped up. If there are other areas of the Star Street pavements that need fixing, please let us know.
Star Street – unauthorised uses
Residents tell us that 97 Star Street is being used as medical business and until recently had a large advertising sign on the railings outside the house. We have asked the Planning Enforcement Team to investigate.
We have also asked the Council to investigate a flat in Star Street which residents say is used as an unauthorised short term let. Residents say, “That’s great news, thank you so much.”
St Michael’s Street – housing improvement works
We have asked Notting Hill Genesis if they can install intercoms as part of their improvement works, after receiving this message from a resident of St Michael’s Street:
“As you know they are upgrading the houses in Star Street and St Michael’s Street and in the course of this I hope they take security seriously as I get many random people ringing the bell. Being in a basement it takes quite a while to get upstairs so I am not always on guard when rushing up two flights of stairs and a long hallway.”
We have also asked NHG to repair another flat in St Michael’s Street which was flooded by a leak from the flat above and caused extensive damage to the flat and the tenant’s furniture. One of the bedrooms is now uninhabitable and the resident says, “I’ve been living in virtually a one-bedroom flat while being charged for a two bedroom flat”.
NHG say, “I have put an emergency repair in for the flooding. Someone will be going in the next four hours to fix the leak. I will investigate the property’s repair history to find out why the leak has been ongoing.”
St Michael’s Street – street homeless
We have asked Street Link to offer assistance to the young woman who has been sleeping in a makeshift ‘tent’ in the rear yard of one of the buildings backing on to St Michael’s Street.
Praed Mews
We have again asked the Council to take action to remove the illegal bin store in Praed Mews. Residents say that, in addition to the regular use of the area behind the bin store by prostitutes, Uber drivers use it as a toilet and the area stinks when there has been no rain. This must be a public health risk and action surely needs to be taken.
Praed Street
We have asked the Council to take action to stop taxis using the area in front of the Hilton Hotel at Paddington Station as a drop-off/pick-up point. Residents say:
“I have seen this myself many times, and today walked past to take a few pictures. In the space of 1 minute, five different black cabs idled here, and one Uber. One of the black cabs even kept its engine on while the driver left the vehicle!”
Sussex Gardens/London Street
We have asked the Highways Team to fix noisy manhole covers on Sussex Gardens, near the corner with London Street.
Edgware Road area
Edgware Road shops
We have asked the Council to take action against those shops on Edgware Road which :
- dump rubbish on the pavements at all hours of the day and night
- carry out works to their premises late at night
- display goods and advertising boards on the pavement
The Chapel Street, Cabbell Street and Transept Street area
Old Marylebone Road
We have asked the Highways Team to fix the loose drain cover on Old Marylebone Road at the junction with Harcourt Street. It makes a loud noise every time a vehicle drives over it and must be a problem for nearby residents at night.
Chapel Street
We have asked Street Link to offer assistance to the young man who has been sleeping in the doorway of 37 Chapel Street for some time.
Paddington Basin/Sheldon Square area
West End Quay
We have asked the Police to include West End Quay in their patrols after receiving this message from a resident:
“It seems the brown wooden steps which are opposite Merchant Square and next to the nursery on the south side of the canal still seem to be used as a drug dealing and weed smoking area. Some barriers have been placed across the steps, but it doesn’t stop people.”
5 Harbet Street
We are continuing to assist a shared owner who wishes to sell their flat following the recent introduction of a ‘waking watch’ regime and further uncertainty about when the cladding issues will be resolved.
Hermitage Street
Westminster Labour Group Leader, Adam Hug, attended the ‘End Our Cladding Scandal’ protest outside Parliament on Wednesday to continue our support for local residents in Hermitage Street. “The government needs to take proper action to help leaseholders and everyone who have been harmed by the lack of support dealing with dangerous cladding and other fire safety issues,” he said.
Other Issues
Ukraine Appeal
We are standing shoulder to shoulder with the people of Ukraine in their hour of need. You can support them in their struggle against Putin’s invasion here
https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal
Council Tax
Labour Councillors voted for No Increase in Council Tax at the last Council meeting. We are against any increase in Council Tax until at least 2024 to try to help residents through these difficult times. We think that at the very least Council Tax should be frozen at its current rate, while further efforts are made to protect those on low incomes.
Service charges
Amongst the many rising costs landing on hard-pressed residents are service charges (for tenants and leaseholders). Labour councillors in Maida Vale have just successfully challenged service charges affecting a number of leaseholders where bills rose 30% in a year and included multiple charges for the same service. Westminster Council accepted that a mistake was made and lower bills will now be sent out, so it is essential to check, query and where necessary challenge because bills can be wrong.
However, bills are still rising even when they are accurate. In these cases, it is important to be as clear as possible about what rights you have because it can be complicated. There is a useful page on the LEASE website covering many of the key issues (what you can ask for, how to challenge bills). Service Charges – The Leasehold Advisory Service (lease-advice.org)
Air pollution
Under a recent Freedom of Information request, we uncovered that Westminster Council has issued just 1 fine for every 1,112 reports of unnecessary engine idling since 2017. Over the 5-year period, over 70,000 incidents were reported to the Council, but a mere 63 fines were handed out and only 34 were actually paid.
Green New Deal for Westminster
We have launched a Green New Deal for Westminster which sets out a clear, ambitious agenda to achieve the change we desperately need. Key measures include:
- Appointing a Cabinet Member with responsibility for climate action. This will be pivotal to driving change from day one of a Labour Council.
- Implementing a Net Zero Test for all decisions to assess the climate impact of decisions made, and a sustainable approach to procurement.
- Seeking to refurbish first, rather than demolish, putting real emissions standards on all developments, and retrofitting our existing housing.
- Driving a green recovery and a just transition, with a Local Climate Bond for investments in our neighbourhoods, a focus on green jobs, and training available to all.
- Starting recovery in the streets, with a commitment to 15-minute neighbourhoods, new tree planting, and high streets that attract customers with active travel infrastructure.
In the spirit of working collaboratively with others we are keen to hear from residents, experts, and other stakeholders about how to develop and build on this plan. So please do get in touch with us to share your thoughts.
Westminster Libraries under threat
It seems Westminster Conservatives have been quietly planning radical changes to Westminster’s libraries – seemingly without any intention of telling people about them before Council elections on 5th May. An internal paper entitled ‘Westminster Libraries and Archives: Overview of Transformation and Next Steps’ outlines the key findings from the Council’s review of the library service. Based on the information in this document it seems that the Council is preparing to:
- Close Charing Cross Library and merge it with the Westminster Reference Library
- Close the Westminster Archives, removing the materials to an ‘off-site’ collection.
- Break their promise to replace the St James’ Library
- Only extend the lease on Mayfair Library for a short period with no commitment on its future
https://www.westminsterlabour.org.uk/issues/2022/02/11/libraryclosuresrevealed/
Handyperson service
Westminster residents aged over 60, or in receipt of disability benefit, can request free help from a handyperson. The service covers minor works to a home such as replacing light bulbs and other small DIY jobs. It does not cover gardening, plumbing or decorating, and it is not an emergency service. Please see the following link for details https://www.westminster.gov.uk/handyperson
Electric Car charging points
Charging points have been installed in lamp columns across the area and you can register your interest in having a lamp post charger installed near you by completing the form below. You can also register an interest in having stand-alone charging posts installed in your local area.
https://www.westminster.gov.uk/request-vehicle-charging-point
Local Police
The Hyde Park Ward Safer Neighbourhood Police Team is PC Adam Oddy, PC Harminder Purewal and PCSO Grant. You can contact them at AWMailbox.SNTCWHydePark@met.police.uk
You can keep an eye on the latest local crime information through the Met Police website:
https://www.met.police.uk/a/your-area/met/westminster/hyde-park/
Heathrow flight path
We are supporting local residents who are concerned about Heathrow planning a flight path over Paddington, Bayswater and Notting Hill.
https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/post/ugc-voting-petitions/989b8335-15f5-4964-adda-13342cf3299f
Refuse collection and Recycling collection times
Recycling bags can be ordered from https://webforms.westminster.gov.uk/order-recycling-bags/. Bags will be delivered within approximately 10 days of order.
You can check when refuse and recycling is collected from your street here http://transact.westminster.gov.uk/env/streetsearch.aspx
Recycling small electrical appliances
Any household electrical and electronic item that operates on a battery or has a plug and is smaller than 60cm in length and under 30cm in width and height, can be put in an on-street small electrical appliances recycling bin. For details of locations see https://www.westminster.gov.uk/recycling-and-rubbish/reusing-and-other-recycling-services/how-recycle-electrical-appliances/small-electrical-appliances
Report It
You can tell the Council about dumped rubbish, broken street lights, graffiti and more by using Report It https://www.westminster.gov.uk/report-it
Street Link
If you see anyone sleeping rough, please contact Street Link who are able offer help and assistance. You can contact Street Link 24 hours a day at www.streetlink.org.uk.
‘Westminster Extra’
You can read the ‘Westminster Extra’ online
Coronavirus (Covid-19) UPDATE
Interactive Map
You can see the latest data for your area here
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map
What you say
“Great work as always. Fingers crossed — you HAVE to get elected. Lots of love from Bathurst Mews”
“I am constantly impressed by the amount of local actions that you initiate and follow through, for the good of us all. Thank you.”
“Thanks for your very helpful email.”
“Good luck with the upcoming election.”
“We are back by the end of April in time to vote for you!”
“We posted our postal votes today. We both voted for the three of you, so fingers crossed”
“You are doing such a demonstrably excellent job working for our communities and you are also holding the Tory Council to account. I do hope that the three of you get elected.”
“Both my husband and I follow the Action Report of the Hyde Park Labour team. We know that you have been actively dealing with all sorts of problems. We greatly appreciate all the support that you and your team have been offering to us and the community.”
“I have been asking for information for years. That’s the most information I have had so thank you. Thanks for all your help.”
“Thank you for removing the bench from Southwick Street; it feels safer walking past that corner now.”
Please let us know if we can be of help or assistance on any local issues.
Please feel free to pass this report to your neighbours. If you know of anyone else who might like to receive this report, please send them this sign-up link https://bit.ly/labour-news
Please keep safe, stay well and look after yourself and your neighbours.
Regards
Judith Southern, Md Shamsed Chowdhury and Paul Dimoldenberg
Your Hyde Park Ward Labour Candidates – Here to Help, All Year Round
You can contact us at hplabour@gmail.com
Follow us on
Facebook @LabourHydePark
Instagram hyde.park.labour
Twitter @HydeParkLabour
Promoted by Margaret Lynch on behalf of the Hyde Park Ward Labour candidates, all at 4G Shirland Mews, W9 3DY.